


Flowers

by RedXD



Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Beef is kinda an idiot in this, Beef is lowkey a simp too, Etho is a simp, Flower meanings, Fluff, Gift Giving, Gifts, I learned Etho used to be a gardener, Language of Flowers, Light Angst, Lots of flowers, M/M, Not Beta Read, Secret Admirer, This is both too long and too short, Yes I am a nerd who loves flower meanings, and I love that, it's barely there, its painful, not really at least
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:48:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28127142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedXD/pseuds/RedXD
Summary: It started with a compliment.Then flowers and notes and so many flowers.Beef has a secret admirer and he's not quite sure what to do about it.
Relationships: Bdubs/Doc (mentioned), Etho/Daniel M. | VintageBeef
Comments: 16
Kudos: 116





	Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> this took too much time considering i dont like it all that much but oof
> 
> i feel like everyone seems super OOC but i cant tell if it's just me being hard on myself
> 
> also im tired and its 12 am so if this sucks blame that please

The gifts start small.

One morning, Beef opens his locker like usual and a small note is placed atop his books and pens.

The note has wonderfully loopy and neat handwriting. The paper is cut in straight, scissor perfect lines.

‘You have the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen.’

That is what the small note tells him and Beef hasn’t ever received a note like this before so he’s a bit too stunned to realize that Tango is peeking over his shoulder.

“Wow, do you have a secret admirer or something?”

The term ‘Secret Admirer’ seems like far away words. Something that could never apply to this small, vague yet complimentary note. The idea of an admirer feels like something of fiction, but never of reality.

So he pushes away the idea and the words because Beef isn’t one for believing in flying pigs when he’s only ever seen pigs stay on the ground. It’s a simple little note. It might not even be meant for him, perhaps the giver made a mistake. It might be a prank, someone trying to mess with him. It doesn’t automatically mean anything.

“No, it’s probably just a random note.”

Despite his own words. He smiles a bit at the sight of the note. The compliment is so simple and sweet that his heart feels light from it. He pockets the perfect little note. And if the note ends up on his whiteboard at home, then that’s just for him to know.

—

The second gift is a small flower that comes two days after the note. It’s white with pink scuffing the bottoms of the tiny stubby petals. It’s small, but pretty and he smiles at the flower like an idiot. How easy he must seem, when all it takes to make him smile is a little flower gifted to him by someone with identity.

Stress sees it in his shirt pocket later and mentions it's a white clover.

He ignores the fact that the flower is most definitely a sign that the note was intended for him and was no mistake.

Even more so, he ignores the fact that it couldn’t have slipped through the slits on his locker which means that somehow the giver had opened his locker.

—

The third gift comes the next day after lunch.

Beef trudges to his locker, feeling like garbage that got eaten and puked three times. He has a headache that’s been present since his first period class, along with a failed science test and he woke up late this morning and missed breakfast because of it. Everything has been going horribly today, so when he opens his locker and sees a bundle of flowers with a small note, he smiles.

The bundle is filled with two different kinds of flowers. The first is a pink kind of flower, with feather and heart shaped petals, some of which have little dark vertical lines. There’s yellow painting the deep insides of the flowers and there’s matching yellow stamen. The other kind of flower is a pastel red with crinkling petals that wrap around and around. There’s a gray ribbon tied around the bundle of flowers, forming a perfect bow.

_Damn._

He can’t remember the last time someone put this much work into giving him flowers. In fact, he can’t remember the last time someone gave him _flowers_. Despite his better interest, the bundle makes him forget all the annoying things from earlier in the day.

His tan fingers gently pick up the note beside the flowers.

‘I’ve seen the painting you made that’s hanging up in the art room. I could spend all my life looking for a better painting and never find anything. It’s beautiful. The most beautiful painting that I’ve ever seen, though I’m not the most knowledgeable, so you may not believe me. I hope these carnations and alstroemerias can prove my claim at least.’

Beef’s eyes are wide and the bell is ringing, but he can’t hear it because his mind is too busy trying not to explode. He feels heat flooding his face. He isn’t sure what to think of what he just read.

Tango is beside him, his locker already closed.

“Earth to Beef? The bell is ringing. Let’s go before we’re even more late.”

His heart thumps again and again in his chest as he snaps back to reality and places the note back into his locker. He takes out his books and binder before carefully shutting his locker door.

“Right, sorry. I’m done now.”

The two begin to speed walk through the halls towards their next class of which they share.

The blonde besides him hums in curiosity. “So what was with the note and flowers in your locker?”

Beef goes still and dares a look at Tango. Said male has a grin painted over his face.

“It was just a gift.” He lies.

He isn’t sure why he’s lying. A part of him sort of wants to keep his sweet and giving secret admirer to himself. As if the second people start knowing about it, the small gifts will stop. He isn’t even sure what to think about it yet. Maybe it’s just going to happen this week and next week it’ll stop.

A big part of him hopes it won’t stop though. It’s selfish maybe, but he likes the flowers and notes.

—

The fourth gift is a bundle of white clovers, a kind of flower he recognizes from a previous gift. It comes on the Monday following the previous week.

There’s no note this time, but there is a small notecard.

Beef inspects it and realizes it’s got all the different equations and formulas for the unit he’s struggling with in his science class.

_How’d they know about that…_

His heart does a flip as he realizes how much the unknown face behind all these gifts cares about him. Despite Beef not having the slightest clue who it is, he can’t help but feel a fond affection for them.

Someone willing to take the time to do all this for him even though they won’t get anything in return is remarkable. He wonders how he can thank them.

His eyes trace the pristine handwriting of each letter and number. His chest feels light as a feather at the sight of the flowers and notecard.

The last bundle of pinks and pastel reds ended up in a vase in his bedroom at home. He has a feeling that this bundle will soon follow suit.

He tucks the notecard between his books and closes his locker with a pleased smile.

Beef can think of some way to thank the gift giver during class.

—

The gifts become a daily thing. Every single day after lunch or before school, flowers can be found in his locker.

Purples and blues and so many shades of so many colors that his room has started to look like a garden but he can’t find it in himself to mind.

Most of the time there’s some note or small poem or different gift along with the flowers.

Beef has grown to look forward to it everyday.

All the notes and poems get hung up on his whiteboard or placed in an average sized shoebox he’s started using to keep all his admirer’s sweet gifts.

In return for the gifts, Beef will write thank yous on notecards and they’ll always be gone by the next day.

Even still, he feels himself wishing he could thank them in person. Wishing for a face or a name or _something._

And the biggest reason why?

As strange as it is: Beef thinks he might be falling for this faceless gift giver.

From their neat handwriting to their love of flowers to their sloppy poetry. It all marvels him.

The poems are all short and not the best poetry he’s ever read, but they’re for _him._ They’re made by the kind person behind these gifts.

Beef can’t help loving the person responsible. They always seem to make his day a thousand times better even if it’s only with a few flowers and a note displaying a single compliment.

Tango finds the whole situation amusing and he can’t quite blame him. Wels and Hypno know about the gifts and believe that he needs to search the school or try and ask for their name.

He hasn’t done so yet simply because he doesn’t want to force them. Whoever is caring for him so deeply, obviously is shy because they’re not just giving him the gifts themselves. So he has no desire to force them out of their comfort zone.

Even if it would be lovely to know them better.

—

Beef is walking down the hall with Wels when he bumps past someone.

That someone is moving quickly and he doesn’t even see them before he realizes he’s bumped them.

The person stumbles back and he darts to apologize.

“Sorry about that.”

The figure, which he notices seems to be a Junior boy, has snowy colored hair that falls in front of his eyes. A fluffy sleeveless green hoodie lies on top of a black t-shirt matching a black facial mask along with black fingerless gloves and black jeans. His feet are covered in a pair of snug winter boots. He swears he sees light scars on the skin of the boy’s arms but he isn’t quite sure.

His eyes are drawn to the things on the guy’s hoodie. One is a patch of the Canadian flag. There’s a pin of a fox and a pin of a mushroom. There’s a few other various pins and patches.

The hair covered eyes go wide and Beef thinks he sees the boy’s pale face go pink.

“Oh snappers! Sorry.”

Wels pipes up, “Aren’t you Doc’s friend from one of the lower years?”

Beef remains quiet, watching the guy stand up properly and nod.

“Yeah. I’m a Junior.”

Before the conversation, if you could call it that, can further continue, the Junior boy’s pocket buzzes and he darts off.

His mouth speaks on its own, as if making note of an observation. “He was kinda cute.”

Wels raises an eyebrow and huffs out a half laugh. However he doesn’t comment on Beef’s statement.

—

The next day, a bundle of beautiful water blue forget-me-nots appears in his locker. He finds himself proud to be able to name it himself. Lately he’s been looking through a library book about flowers to help him name the ones he gets.

Another vase is added to his room collection. At this point, he has no space for much else.

He doesn’t mind.

—

One day after he receives a single red rose in a mix of daisies in his locker before school, he’s leaving the lunch room.

Beef goes to throw away some trash in one of the trash cans, when his eyes notice something. A crumpled up paper sticks out atop some other recyclables. He can barely see ‘Beef’ written on it.

Reaching out carefully, he takes it out while throwing away his own garbage.

He leaves into the halls and unfolds the paper.

His eyes scan over the page.

‘Beef,

I wonder if you notice my eyes. I hate my eyes. They make people look at me funny. They make people stare. I feel their judgement. Even with just eyes it turns to hell. Where I can imagine feeling their hands hurting me and their words cutting me. But I wonder why you seem not to even notice nor care about my eyes. You look so beautiful ahead of me, and I’m happy you don’t see me because I don’t think I’m worth your pretty eyes. Not when your pretty eyes are so beautiful it hurts. They’re so beautiful that it makes me think about them often. You deserve the world. I don’t have it.

But I do have a rose.’

Beef’s eyes go wider than they might have ever gone.

_This is obviously by my admirer._

_Why’d they throw it away?_

He gulps and rereads it as he nears his locker.

When he pulls it open, the rose stares at him. He glances back at the letter.

_Did they not want me to read this?_

The letter hurts his chest, pulling each heart string. Even the mere idea that his admirer is not only hurting, but believes they aren’t worth his time is sickening. He wishes he could hug them. Tell them that they deserve the world too.

In a moment of pure heart and no brain, he grabs an empty piece of paper and scribbles out a note before leaving it in his locker. He’ll leave it there till his admirer can take it.

As he walks towards his next class, he hopes the letter won’t scare them.

—

‘Please talk to me. Not about me or your gifts. But please talk _to_ me. Even if it's only giving me a name or a small conversation, I just want to get to know you.’

—

The next day, he receives what he guesses is blue iris alongside a tiny note, resembling the very first note they gave him in both size and neatness.

‘You can call me E, if you’d like.’

As little as a letter is, it makes Beef all sorts of giddy. He hugs the note close to his chest and kisses it without thinking.

He’s so happy to have something. He has _something._ And maybe, he can get closer to knowing who’s behind these loving messages and flowers.

Tango snickers, “Passionate there.”

Beef flushes, shoving the note in his locker.

_I forgot he was there._

Coughing to cover his red face, he closes his locker.

“I got a letter.”

The blonde wiggles an eyebrow, “Do tell.”

He smiles like a schoolgirl, “E. They’re name starts with an E. Or at least I’m guessing it does.”

This instead of furthering Tango’s smirk, it makes him freeze.

Beef watches the gears turn in his head.

“This is gonna sound crazy, but I think I know who your secret admirer is.”

_Wait what-_

“HOW?!”

Tango laughs in disbelief, “I’m friends with them. They're a music genius. I have no clue how they can manage to master any instrument, but they do.”

_A musician?_

_That’s so cool._

“What’s their name?”

This causes the blonde to pause, “No way. I’m not telling you. They wouldn’t want me to.”

_Asshole._

He glares, “Why not?”

“Because now I can understand the reasons they’re scared for you to figure out who it is. Why they don’t want you to get to know them. Or well, I don’t know the reasons as good as someone else may, but I know pretty well.”

_Why… Why do I feel so angry? Why do I feel so sick because Tango knows so much about them._

_I thought I knew things no one else did…_

_Maybe it’s nothing._

—

As the gifts keep coming, Beef learns more and more about his admirer slowly but surely.

He learns that they love foxes. Apparently they even have a pet fox named Side Kit. The pun gave Beef the best kind of laugh.

He learns that, unsurprisingly, E is an expert plant fanatic. They even accidentally mentioned they’ve grown all the flowers Beef has been gifted themselves. The effort makes Beef swoon.

With a bit more back and forth messages and letters, Beef finally finds out a clue to narrowing down who E could be.

It comes from a letter with a bundle of lavender and gillyflowers.

‘Beefers (He’s not quite sure when the nickname started occurring in letters, but he loves it),

I’m glad you found someplace for the flowers! I tried to make the bouquet smaller this time so you can add it into another vase with some other flowers. I’ve been busy with life lately so I’m sorry if letters and flowers begin to come less. I’ll try and find some smaller gifts to give ya.

Tango told me about you begging him. It’s sweet, but I don’t think it’s a good idea that you know who I am. Trust me. I don’t want your expectations too high.

However, I’m feeling a bit guilty, so I’ll tell you one small thing. I’m a year younger than you.

-E’

His eyes light up and Beef grins like crazy. He just has to try and find out what Juniors have E names and are friends with Tango. Maybe he can find some good results with Band or Orchestra too.

Beef feels as if he’s high on Cloud 9.

After school, he picks up a big bouquet of flowers and leaves them in his locker with a smiley face sticker. He doesn’t have enough time yet to respond, but he’ll send a letter in response soon enough.

What an idiot he is.

—

The next day, he gets a massive, opulent bouquet of lovely forget-me-nots, blue hyacinths, pink carnations, and white orchids.

He smiles and then notices a small llama keychain next to the flowers.

_How cute._

With a happy grin, he attaches the keychain to his backpack and gently closes his locker.

What an idiot indeed.

—

The gifts stop after that.

He begins to realize that it’s like E has just vanished. No letters or flowers or anything.

Beef wonders if he’s waiting for a response. But the letter never leaves his locker even after days. 

Maybe E is sick, but then why has it been over a week?

By the end of the second week with no sign of E, Beef complains to Stress at lunch about his issue.

He recounts the flowers and notes and the sudden lack thereof.

“Beef, you bothered learning the names of flowers, but not the meanings?” She finally says.

This causes him to blink in confusion till she continues.

“E is a plant lover right? Well it’s obvious that they’re big on the meanings of flowers. They gave you specific flowers with specific meanings.” She explains with a sad smile.

Beef takes a deep breath.

_Okay, then she should know what the issue is._

“What do yellow carnations, orange lilies, and butterfly weeds mean?”

Her lips tighten into a disappointed, mom-like frown as she sighs,

“In summary? They basically mean rejection, hatred, and leave me the heck alone.”

_Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit-_

His eyes go wide and his head falls into his hands.

“I’m an idiot. I just grabbed ones that looked pretty.”

She pats his back, “The flowers E sent last were mostly apology flowers. I think they thought you were rejecting them when you found out they’re a year younger.”

_Shit shit shit-_

Beef grips at his hair in a panic, “What do I do Stress?! I scared them off and I have no clue who it is. Tango won’t tell me and even if he could, he’s still out of town with Impulse!”

Stress shrugs, “I don’t know if there’s anything you _can_ do. Sorry love.”

He groans, “Well thanks anyways. At least I know now.”

Even if it means now he knows that he just lost E forever.

—

A couple of weeks later, Beef is out with Doc.

The two wander around in Doc’s car.

“Where is this place again?”

Doc snaps, “Close! Bdubs deserves the best so he is getting the best. I just didn’t expect his family’s shop to be so far out.”

_Jeez._

Beef sighs, “Okay okay.”

Finally, the two pull up at a shop with a massive field and garden around it. Flowers and plants flourish throughout the garden and field. It’s beautiful. He notices patches of different kinds of flowers: White Clovers, Every color carnations, roses, forget-me-nots, and more. He’s pleased with himself that he recognizes a large portion of them.

The shop itself looks a bit overgrown outside with how many hanging vines and plants there are. The windows are wide open and he can see fairy lights and more greenery deep inside.

“Here we are.”

Doc leads him inside the shop where Beef notices a vaguely familiar face standing behind a counter with large planters of flowers resting atop its surface.

“Etho! I need your help.”

_Huh. An ‘E’ name._

The cashier, Etho, glances up and Beef notices his mismatched eyes. One shines a silver while the other is a deep red. He blinks, noticing that the gorgeous pair of eyes flickers away to face Doc. He can’t help but feel as if the eyes were escaping. Is Beef intimidating?

“Whats up?”

The German male drags out a long sigh, “I want to give Bdubs a gift and some flowers. I have the gift, but I need your help with the flowers.”

Etho’s eyes light up and Beef almost thinks he’s smiling beneath his black facial mask.

“Good thing you’re here. I’ve got the good stuff.” He laughs lightly.

Beef notes the laugh is a lovely sound.

He follows behind Doc and Etho as they wander around the shop.

“So are these ‘I love you’ flowers or more ‘I appreciate you’ flowers? What sort of message are you thinkin’?” He chirps, gloved hands delicately taking two daisies from a planter and hands them to Doc. “For you and Beef. They mean purity.”

He takes his daisy with a nod of thanks.

_Wait._

The question escapes his lips before he can even consider stopping it, “How do you know my name?”

Etho’s eyes widen and he flushes ever so slightly. Barely a second passes and his face returns to normal.

“Oh, I sit behind you in Physics.”

_He does? I didn’t even notice._

Doc clears his throat awkwardly, “To answer your question Etho. I, uh,” he goes red, “I would prefer ‘I love you’ flowers.”

Without a moment more, Etho spins on his heel and stares at some planters with a flower that Beef can’t name. He suddenly feels his brain do a blank.

“Bdubs likes the color red so roses will be an easy inclusion, but you want to balance them out. Roses on their own can be cliche.”

_That must be why ‘E’ would always mix them in with daisies and other flowers._

After another moment, Etho takes out a paper wrapping and his eyes dart around to find counter space. When he finds none, he shoves it into Doc’s arms.

“Hold this for me. Keep it open so I can place flowers onto it. Be extra careful.” He hums.

Beef watches in amazement. He wonders how long Etho has been a fan of plants. He seems so rhythmic and confident in what he’s doing.

_It sorta reminds me of ‘E.’_

The pale male places a few roses onto the paper, along with a few daisies.

_Wait. That’s… I guess daisies and roses are popular choices?_

A few pink flowers, Etho calls them peonies and Beef feels stupid for not realizing sooner, along with some pastel red carnations get added to the mix and then finally, a few white roses.

_Huh. I remember ‘E’ giving me carnations like those a few times._

_Etho has a lot in common with ‘E’. At least with how he handles flowers._

They follow Etho back to the main counter and he finishes the bouquet. His thin fingers move each singular flower as if arranging a dance. When he seems happy with the way it looks, he takes out a thing of gray ribbon. He ties a long piece around the flowers and ties the ends into a perfect bow.

_That’s… That’s exactly how ‘E’ would have the ribbon. Same color too._

_Now that I think about it…_

As Doc and Etho talk about the bouquet, Beef glances at the fox pin on Etho’s green jacket.

_Plants and Foxes, check._

He thinks through his memory, recalling the time he bumped into Etho with Wels. He remembers him mentioning that he’s a Junior.

_A year younger than me, check._

His eyes move to Doc for a mere second.

_Tango is friends with most of Doc’s close friends. That’s a check._

Beef gulps and realizes that the easy ‘E’ name check is the last one. To top it all off, apparently Etho is in the class that ‘E’ gave him notes for.

_Fuck Etho is my secret admirerer._

All his senses grow fuzzy as his heart does a million backflips. He dares a peek at Etho. Said male is distracted resisting Doc paying for the flowers to notice his gaze.

_I don’t know what I was expecting, but fuck he’s so much prettier than I could’ve imagined._

His eyes follow Etho’s jawline all the way to his narrow shoulders. He feels his face get more and more piping hot.

_Etho is ‘E’._

A smile grows on his face.

_Etho is ‘E.’_

Etho and Doc notice his staring, but he doesn’t say anything.

_I know who ‘E’ is. I have a second chance._

The world feels so colorful as he stands in a rainbow and green shop, heart on fire. He wonders if he’s felt this happy before. If he has, he wonders how long it's been. It feels like it's been years. Maybe it has.

“Beef?”

The two confused males blankly stare at him.

“I didn’t know they meant rejection.” Beef blurts out.

The pale gardener tilts his head slightly and it only makes Beef’s heart swell more.

“Didn’t know what-”

Beef laughs in minor embarrassment, “The flowers. The carnations. I just thought they were pretty. I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

Doc gives out a “Huh?” but neither of them two are focused on him at the moment.

Etho’s eyes go inexplicitly wide as his mouth forms a small ‘o’. Pink layers over his cheeks. “You-” His voice comes out hoarse and he clears his throat, licking his chapped lips. Beef’s eyes follow the movement in shameful curiosity. “Are you disappointed?”

Immediately: “No way. I mean… I don’t know Etho very well. But I’d like to think I know ‘E’ pretty well. I’m pretty sure you could end up having murdered your brother and I’d still not be disappointed. Concerned and maybe a bit worried, but not disappointed.”

Doc’s “What?” and “Can I please be told what is going on?” go unheard.

The other smiles, this time Beef can see it. The mask rises slightly along with his growing grin, his eyes so bright it’s impossible he isn’t smiling.

“That’s good. I think. We should probably talk about this later though.” He awkwardly motions to Doc.

_Oh crap I forgot about the reason we came here for a moment._

The German male groans, “Finally. What the heck did I just witness? It felt like some soap opera.”

_I am not going to take offense to that._

Etho scratches his neck bashfully, “Sorry Doc. Beef is that person I was talking about… _Y'know_ , the one I stole the locker combo for.”

_Wait he did what-_

Doc’s eyes flash with recognition. “Oh. Congrats?”

This prompts Etho to snicker, “Thanks. You sound real choked up there. Here’s your flowers.”

“Thanks. Beef, I’ll wait in the car for you. Don’t take long please.”

He disappears, sending them both a look before he exits.

Silence overtakes the small shop, but it soon gets interrupted.

“Why didn’t you tell me it was you?”

A pause.

Then, “I wouldn’t meet your expectations. When you don’t get a face, you build up expectations even without trying. At first, I was just too nervous and then it had been so long that I didn’t think there was a chance of you not getting disappointed. Not to mention we aren’t exactly friends. Who’s to say you wouldn’t find it creepy that a Junior you’ve never talked to is crushing on you and sending you flowers.”

With one last breath, he finishes his explanation and then goes silent. He leans against the counter, eyes downward.

Beef reaches out and his fingers brush Etho’s.

“I didn’t think it was creepy. Believe it or not, your gifts made my day. It was… nice.”

Etho’s eyebrows grow downturned, “I’m sorry I stopped.”

“It’s okay,” Beef grins, “I’d take you over flowers any day.”

And that statement only becomes more true.


End file.
